How to fix your HP Mini 1000 webcam

If you don’t own an HP Mini 1000 then you haven’t experienced the dark webcam picture problem that I mentioned in my article where I discussed how to install and customize Windows 7 on the HP Mini 1000. At the time I thought it might be a driver issue but now we have proof that it’s actually a manufacturing defect. Thankfully, there’s a fix out there, though HP isn’t offering to do it for you, nor is the company making it publicly known that there’s a problem with the webcam.{ad}

It turns out that during manufacturing a black film was put on top of the webcam lens. I can only imagine this was left on by accident and that the webcam is shipped in parts with the film on top of the lens to protect it. Regardless, there’s a way to remove it and Gear Diary recently posted the video above where Sarah from HP shows us how to remove the film ourselves. It actually involves prying open the shell of the laptop and depressing some tabs to release the structural pieces. I’ll be giving it a try myself and will report back since in its current state, the webcam is completely unusable.

Speak Your Mind

hodar

“…HP isn’t offering to do it for you, nor is the company making it publicly known that there’s a problem with the webcam.”
This is an obvious manufacturing defect. The warranty explicitly states that their products are covered for manufacturing defects – so, why is HP failing to mention this problem? What good is a warranty from HP, if HP can randomly decide what is, and what is not covered?

Is HP arrogant enough to believe that their competition will never catch up to them again; that they can treat their customers like a bad smell coming from behind a closed door? This poor customer support treatment is what killed Dell, and allowed HP to assume a leadership position.

http://arghyle.com Sal Cangeloso

Is this seriously not covered at all? I mean the webcam isn’t functional out of the box right?

So what happens when you “wedge something very small” into your lid and crack the bezel or scratch the panel?

btw- that is a $700 netbook (vivian tam edition) that they are working on. not exactly the system you would expect people to go DIY on…

Ximena

Hello! thanks for the post.. I have been looking to fix wy webcam since christmas.. it’s good to know that there’s something that we can do.. The link for the video is closed, but you can see the same demonstration in the following:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ihrVTGlGYJk

CofusednAmused

Well, as much as you folks believe this is a defect and will attempt to pry your laptop open. The film you are referring to was placed in the webcam to help manage light in OUTDOOR SETTINGS. The issue you have with the brightness of the actual picture is a driver issue due to your beta *cough* hacked… Windows 7. All you really need to do is install the drivers for the webcam itself. I know… No webcam found blah blah blah. Manual install the driver. Works like a charm. Post cracked shell pictures please!